' [ music ] >> bill: hey, good morning everybody. it is wednesday, april 17th here on the full court press. we are coming to you live on current tv all the way across this grade land of ours, bringing you the news of the day and, of course, giving you a chance to get involved in the conversations. to join the conversation early this wednesday morning, either giving us a call at 866-55-press, or joining us on

twitter. we love to have you follow us on twitter @bpshow. >> that's our twitter handle and we want you to be our friend. we need your friendship on facebook. then you can send us your comments to facebook.com/billpress show. democrats and thein the senate the first votes will be held on gun safety and they are scram bluely bling to get 60 votes. they shouldn't have to get 60 votes. you should only need 5 one of votes if they were a real democracy and if the senate really played by democratic rules at the whitehouse chuck schumer and john mccain briefed president obama on their new comprehensive immigration reach and votes will be coming up on that but the most focus is up in boston. day 2 of the investigation into those bombs planted at the end

of the boston marathon. so far, we know very little and there have been no claims of responsibility. we will update you on that and a whole lot more right here on current tv. [ music ] (vo) current tv gets the converstion started weekdays at 9am eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. (vo) tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv.

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documentaries that are real, gripping, current. >> occupy! >> we will have class warfare. (vo) true stories, current perspective. documentaries. on current tv. >> broadcasting across the nation, on your radio and on current tv this is "the bill press show." >> bill: >> bill: second day of the investigation up in boston and still no leads, no suspects. good morning everybody: happy wednesday. it is wednesday, april 17th here in the year 2013. great to see you today. here question on the "full-court press," rolling out for our next three hours together here as we do every morning.

we take a survey of what's gone on. what we are waking up to here in our nation's capitol. on capitol hill right down the street from the united states capitol building. we will tell you what's happening here in washington, d.c., around the country and around the globe. the latest from boston and we will get you a chance to what it sounds off to number 1 give us a call at 866-55-press. >> that's our toll-free number or follow us on twitter and comment on twitter @bp show, @bp show. >> that's our twitter handle. 3, be our friend on facebook, and talk to us on facebook. ooned in the that the room radio as long as there is a current tv, there is a current tv chat room. you go by going into current.com

and, click, you are in part of the chat room with your "full-court press"ers across the land. good to see you this wednesday morning, middle of the week, and good to bring in our team here again. peter ogburn and dan henning. with alicia cruz on the phones. hialicia good morning. and cyprian boulding keeps us looking good on the video cam. look what he has to work with. yesterday was maggie thatcher's big funeral in the u.k. representing us. not representing me. michelle bachman was there. >> definitely not representing us. >> newt gingrich was there.

>> if you are a crazy politician yesterday was your day. >> i am surprised herman cain wasn't there, donald trump. whatever, but here, we mourned the passing of a great american pat sum merrall. how many times we saw him, usually paired up with john madden. right? they were football twins and the most popular sports casters for decade. here they were back in 1997 at the opening of the super bowl. >> the patriots and the packers faceoff for the championship of the n.f.l. pat s. ummerall. all of this hoopla. is it as big as it seems? >> it's bigger than what it seems. >> what's amazing is pat s.

ummerall has one of the most recognizable invoices in sports. the only other name more recognizable is john madden. >> that's historic. >> there is no other walk of life where people become such ledge ends as announcers as in sports. >> it's true. >> scully and these, they are so familiar. >> if if you -- i mean people get so emotionally invested in their sports teams that these guys that call the games are their buddies, their friends. they relate to them.

elliottiot spitzer joins us this wednesday morning and we will talk to reporters from the boston globe and u.s.a. today and update you on boston but first. >> this is the full court press. >> on this wednesday, other headlines making news, the new york yankees gave a touching tribute to boston last night even though the red sox are their biggest rivals. during the third inning of their match-up against the arizona diamondbacks, they played swat sweet caroline" at yankee stadium. they play that at every home game. they have done it at fenway park but last night, it was heard and sung along to in the bronx. >> bill: that was a great thing for the yankees to do. how did that ever get started for the red sox, i wonder? "sweet caroline". >> but you have to understand that those two teams absolutely hate each other.

>> i know. >> absolutely hate each other. >> i love when the red sox beat the yankees. bradley cooper tells "details magazine" about meeting the vice president was particularly memorable. called biden a master who doesn't give you a second chance, didn't give you a second to be insecure. he comes right up to you as soon as he is in a room turns your brain off and makes you feel completely at ease. >> bill: all right. good. >> and there is a new food trend getting rolling using elephant dung. last year, a company debuted elephant dung coffee. now, there is a japanese brewery making beer with elephant dung in it. the huffington post -- >> i could do without elephant dung products. >> the saint gallon brewery created al coffee stop that sold

out so quickly t the coffee beans pass through an elephant's digestive tract. it's called unconocudo, a play on the japanese word for crap. >> bill: why? >> i was going to say: why? >> in the world of brewing, you know, people like to experiment and always got to -- >> experiment. i think of a lot of other ways. you could have people swallow these beans and poop them too. yeah. >> why? >> buy it and drink it. >> i think the elephant digestive tract is a little different than the human one. >> no, it's not. >> what are you talking about? why are you -- >> it's not. >> what are you talking about? >> the animal. >> we are alnimals. >> we are animals. maybe digger. >> what goes in must come out.

>> i feel like casey kason to make a serious transition. the latest up in boston president obama kind of making it official yesterday, if you will, we knew it was an act of terrorism. the president yesterday confirming that that's the conclusion the f.b.i. has already reached and that is -- that is the nature of and the focus of their investigation. >> this was a heinous and cowardly act, and given what we now know about what took place, the f.b.i. is investigating it as an act of terrorism. >> bill: and the president says he we all know what an act of terrorism is and why this qualifies. >> anytime bombs are used to

target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror. >> so the latest we know three dead from the double bombing there at the finish of the boston marathon an 8-year-old boy, a young 29-year-old spectator, woman spectator who just came there to see the runners cross the finish line and a chinese nationalist graduate student who has not yet been identified who, again, was there among the spectators. three dead, 140 wounded, probably a couple of dozen of whom, if not more were looking for the exact -- looking for the exact number actually lost their limbs, lost legs because of the force of this -- of these blasts. all the fbi can tell us, as rick delaura does, the making of these bombs, they seem to be

hand-made, very crude, very kind of low-key explosives. put together with pressure cookers you can buy filled with nails and ball bearings and other pieces of metal and placed inside either duffle bags or backpacks and left on the sidewalk. here, the light fbi agent: >> among items partially recovered are pieces of black nylon which could be from a backpack and what appear to be fragments of bb's and nails possibly contained in a pressure cooker device. >> bill: he said the kind of black powder in this, too, was not plastic. so, it didn't do more damage, didn't dig a crater in the sidewalk, didn't bring down the buildings or the front of the buildings there in front. but still did a lot of damage to the people who were around there, of course. and the f.b.i. telling us, still, at this point they have

no suspects. no one has come forward to claim responsibility. they are looking at the video and all of the pictures that have been turned in and everything, trying to look for signs of any clues at all, but delara said most carlisle is somebody remembers somebody somewhere said something that leads them to believe that maybe they had some plans for this day. >> the person who did this is someone's friend neighbor co-worker or real stiff. we are asking. we are asking if anyone heard someone speak in any way that he or shall may target the event to call us. >> yeah. no idea whether it is terrorist, domestic or foreign tear analysts although i must say it seems to me that the longer this goes on, the less there is as claim of responsibility the more likely it is domestic

rather than some al-qaeda or jihadist group. i think if that were the case we would have heard from them. >> that's usually the case. >> that we showed you we can still attack you on your soil. >> yeah. >> but who knows? who knows? but it does raise the question, you know, and all we can do is look at what's going on and just kind of scratch our heads and wonder. a couple of questions i think it raises for me that i would like to get your take on this morning, 866-55-press, your reaction to this horrific event on monday just destroying what was a marvelous, almost national celebration of the marathon on patriot's day. it's not nufsh to know somebody who is running it or and itunusual to know somebody who is running it or and it becomes a festive weekend

around patriot's day. and it will symbolizes boston brings together the people of boston. so your thoughts on that, number 1. 866-55-press. secondly, what does this mean? does it make you think twice about going where there are concentrations of people am? taking your kids to ball games or to parades or marathons or big public events like this places like disney world where there will be big crowds. any ball game here in washington, d.c., the subway jammed, celebrations down on the mall, cherry blossom festival. these are places that are prime targets for somebody who wants to kill a lot of people in a setting where people would not expect terrorists to strike.

866-55-press. make you think about maybe changing your ways? and the other question is: what about these video cameras? they are looking at the video cameras. unfortunately, this was the end of the marathon where there were a lot of cameras around cameras, surveillance cameras to watch that equipment and all of the t.v. cameras to watch the marathoners and the crowds but is this an argument for surveillance cameras in all of our major cities at all of the intersections and downtown so that any time, basically -- it's true in new york now. you are out on the streets of manhattan and new york you are on camera. 247, our camera if that is something we can expect unless we are in the privacy of our homes, it's more and more that way. you walk around the capitol building. you walk around most department stores, you look around. you are on camera is that what we just have to accept? >> it is a tough thing to thinks

about because there is a big part of me that says, man, i think it's totally wrong to be on camera at all times but then again, you hear especially in england where, i mean every inch of street is you see being watched. they solve a lot of crimes that way. >> they do. midtown manhattan, that's the way it is. it has proved to be very effective. i have to say i am not real happy with it, but i don't have a problem with it either. i mean, i am not going to say take them down. what's your thoughts afraid to go in crowds? what about these surveillance cameras? 866-55-press. let's talk about it. >> radio meets television "the bill press show" now on current tv t

that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

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[ music ] >> heard around the country and seen on current tv this is "the bill press show." . >> all right. 26 minutes after the hour now. here we are on this wednesday morning. the entire world still focused on boston "washington post" headline this morning, the day after, coming for clues, and despite all of that combing for clues, they have found pass pieces of heavy-duty back parks, it looks like, and there is a picture that the fbi has released of the parts, what's left of a pressure cooker. it's hard to believe it could go in a kitchen or supply stoor or

department story or macy's or whatever and any discount store, get at pressure cooker and turn it into a bomb. never heard of that before. peter, comments online. >> we are competing @bpshow. and in the chat room at current.com, broken constitution says in the chat room. i hope this doesn't pete people off from enjoying their life. i hope this doesn't encourage people to give up more privacy than we already have and on twitter, blue ghost says, bill any time events like this happens, it takes time to get information. >> it does take time. and i think we have to recognize that. >> absolutely. >> and be patient and let the investigators do their job certainly. and let's say hello to kerri from calling in denver. >> hi, bill. i am a runner from denver. i got stopped about a half mile before the finish line. >> in boston or -- >> in boston, yeah.

>> you were there? >> yes. i was there. and i think -- i think the best way to fight this is to go back next year and do it again next year. >> good for you. >> we need to support this great event. >> yeah. >> boston is a great town, and i got caught in the twilight zone. i was past the diversion point and there was two or 3,000 of us didn't know what to do or where to go. we had no water, and it was a very cold breeze and the local resident did came out and gave us water and trash bags to wear. i ended up putting on two trash bags. it probably saved me from hypothermia. >> you were stopped because of the blast. right? >> yeah. they were diverting people at the 43 mark. i had already passed that. >> yeah. >> so, you know, there was no information. the rumors just came that there was a bomb. about 30 minutes later, someone came with a bullhorn and said there was an incident. >> bill: i bet it was chaos. kerry, your spirit is absolutely the right spirit.

let's bring the marathon back, and everybody get back and run again next year. >> this is "the bill press show." [ music ] can

[ music ] >> this is "the bill press show" live on sewer radio and current tv. >> oh, yeah. 33 minutes now after the hour t wednesday, april 17th. we are talking about boston, the aftermath of boston, whether it

makes us think about changing our habits, think twice about surveillance cameras and it may be being a little more receptive to cameras everywhere, particularly in our downtown areas. 866-55-press is our toll-free number. back to your comments and your calls in just a second here boy, here is a warning, a reason to be alert. a new study has shown your identity could be at risk just by walking around with a gps on your phone, people can track you down, find out your location of course and then pick up your information like your social security number, where you bank, where you live, and your identifyty is gone. identity theft. you've got to be protected against it i am with lifelock ultimate, the most comprehensive identity theft protection ever made. lifelock can't protect you or your bank account if you are not a mer. mention press 60 for 60 risk-free days for lifelock ultimate identity theft protection. here is deal: if you are not happy, call lifelock and cancel within 60 days of signing up,

you get a full refund. see lifelock.com for details and give them a call at 1-800-356-5967 for lifelock ultimate, 1800, 356-59 since 7. >> bill, it was one year ago this week it the nra convention that ted nugent said if barack obama is re-elected i will be dead or in jail. >> where is he? >> the time has come. it has been a year. he is neither dead or in jail. we are just saying maybe, you know barack obama -- >> i will -- >> put him in jail. >> i will take the more come potionat approach. let's just lock his ass up. >> you bleeding heart liberal you. >> these two brothers paul and

his brother, jp nordic, they lost their jobs, went to the marathon to cheer on a firefighter who was running. each of those brothers lost a leg. so sad, you know, that it hit that family, two young guys. >> that to me -- >> so many stories like that. >> all of the people therewho were there to cheer on the runners, that's who was hit. >> yeah, yeah. >> people who were there to be support for these runners and to be a part of it. >> crowded together on the sidewalk and again right there at the finish line. what's it all mean? stewart? saint petersburg florida. good to hear from you. >> i hope we don't change what our normal patterns that we do from everyday life even with this tragedy. >> bill: if we do, stewart, they win. right? >> exactly. >> when you bring up the camera

issue, in florida, in tampa when we had the rnc, everyone was major complaining: why do we need cameras? i agree with a lot of people that i really don't like cameras, but if they had the cameras installed there, you will get what they got in london, they took those bombers that set off those bombs pretty quick like. cameras? do i want them? one says yes. the other part says no, because i think it's -- >> i feel the same way. i don't like it but at the same time, i recognize they do a lot of good. i was walking up 6th avenue in new york last weekend and i suddenly by myself send i

realized there were these cameras and i thought, well, you know, it didn't really change what i was doing. right? and it could be doing some good. >> if you are going to be doing something bad, you are going to hate them. otherwise, who cares? intel thanks, stewart. good to hear from you. >> if these cameras play any part in catching who did this >> bill: amen. >> amen. >> bill: put them everywhere. >> but if they are used to start busting people a for buying a dime bag of pot in the back alley, i wonder if they are serving a useful purpose. >> bill: you might -- look. if it's a pick-pocket or something, fine. but if it's something just taking a puff of a joint, watching up 6th avenue. scott calling from chicago.

hey, scott >> caller: hey, bill. >> bill: what's going on? your point, scott? >> caller: i wanted to make the point that the cameras are just like a tool. you can use a ma'amhammer to beat somebody over the head or to build a house. but when you misuse that tool, that's when it becomes a problem. we have to be vigilant that cameras aren't used to infringe om right to assembly freedom to speech and freedom to petition the government >> bill: or do something dumb as long as it's not criminal. there should be some guidelines as, peter, you were suggesting, as to what the surveillance cameras can be used to pick up.

right? >> yeah. if it helps them catch and nab whoever was responsible or involved in any way of what happened in boston, more power to them. >> if there is a crime that's been committed that these cameras, you can go back and look at and you can see someone planting a bomb, you can see someone stabbing somebody or pick-pocketing or something like that i can't really give a strong argument as to why we shouldn't have them. >> right. >> if we start talking about other things. >> particularly in major urban areas. scott, i appreciate the call. in albuquerque, n, hi, carol, good morning to you. >> caller: years ago, i was on a plane when the un i bomber had put out his manifesto. and they had delayed all of the planes and my plane decided to have engine trouble.

>> on top of everything else? >> caller: right. people were, you know, worried. you know, the people in the plane said, you know, if anybody feels that they cannot go on with this flight before we start, you can leave. only one couple out of all of the people on the plane. the others looked at each other and said, hey, if it's our day, it's our day. we are going for it. so i am not going to to be anything just because someone wants to be cruel to other human beings. >> bill: that's a great attitude, absolutely, carol. and as kerry, i think his name was, our first runner there from denver pointed out the best thing would be for the 2014 to be bigger and better and more festive than ever as sort of a, you know, an in-your-face to the tear rifts, whoever they are who

wanted to disrupt it. what they really want is no more marathon. right in the boom. we are not going to have any marathons every anywhere again. they want no more boston marathons and they want us to kind of climb into our shells and live in fear, and that's the very wort thing we could do. tom friedman has a great column on that thought in the fork times this morning. let's talk one more time here. donald is in oak grove, illinois. >> what gets me is the business about the cameras. everyone is, they are infringing on my rights. we can't have the cameras. this is so ridiculous. you know, they are going to have a marathon in chicago in a short period of time, there is going to be one. we've got cameras anyways f you don't have anything to hide, you shouldn't worry about cameras. it's ridiculous. it sounds like the gun rights

people. they are going to inc.fringe on my rights taking my guns away. >> how extensive are the cameras in chicago? i have never noticed them? >> they have them in certain neighborhoods and i believe they do have them f you know, cameras, themselves, along that strip along from boston because i have never been there, do you think any of those stores maybe have cameras that were looking out? could that possibly be? >> bill: i would hope so. >> that's not unusual. a lot of stores have cameras at the entrances to the stores and on the sidewalk in front of those stores. i don't know that they do, donald. but i would hope that they do. and again, i have seen that i have seen in manhattan. i have seen it in washington, d.c. as well. and you have probably seen it in chicago. so, i am, you know look, i don't -- like stewart said i am not crazy about being on camera everywhere. i am in a major city but i think that goes with the territory,

and as long as there is some reasonable guidelines about what they are going to pick up on camera and what they are not, you go to any department store, any shopping mall. you know what? you are on camera, baby, except that eliot spitzer joins us next. >> this is "the bill press show." [ music ] this show is about analyzing criticizing, and holding policy to the fire. are you encouraged by what you heard the president say the other night? is this personal or is it political? a lot of my work happens by doing the things that i am given to doing anyway. staying in tough with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it. not only does senator rubio just care about rich people but somehow he thinks raising the minimum wage is a bad idea for the middle class. but we do care about them, right? vo: the war room tonight at 6 eastern

i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets

that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us. [ music ] >> heard around the country and seen on current tv this is "the bill press show." intel thirteen minutes before the stop of the hour here in washington, d.c. scrambling for votes for the gun

safety legislation. those first votes will be taken today. scrambling for votes on the comprehensive immigration reform put forward by the gang of 8 a couple of days ago, but even here in washington, most attention is still focused on boston and the initial steps of the investigation by the f.b.i. and to who might have been responsible for the bombings at the end of the boston marathon and how they managed to plant those bombs. joining us with comments on all of the above, our good friend eliot spitzer. hey, eliot. good morning. what's going on? >> good morning. you are right. we would rather be reading and talking about progress on immigration and gun control but it's hard not to be focused on boston and that tragedy. ists sitting in my office with the t.v. and out of the corner of my eye, you see this bomb and say my goodness. what is this? and it could that' right us. >> it really does. do you think this is going to make people think twice about

these marathons that have been held in on most of our major cities? >> i don't think so. it's interesting. there is now beginning to be sort of this second generation stories after the tragedy, itself and stories about the victims. stories a couple of hours or weeks in turmoil. what does it do to our psyche? do we become like israel that shrugs our shoulders and say we are not going to let them win and go back to normal. we know they are going to be more invasive measures or crawl in a shell and change the way we live? i think we are going to go back to after 911 there was obviously a spasm of fear and anguish which continues at some level. but that's what we have to do. i think that's what will happen. >> bill: otherwise as we said earlier, otherwise, they win. right? >> exactly. >> that's what they want. but what does it mean? eliot? i was in new york last weekend.

telling the listeners and viewers this walking up 6th avenue and every intersection there was a surveillance camera and i was thinking about does this bother me or not? and what does it say? like what happened in the boston about the need for the surveillance cameras and their importance in downtown particularly in major urban areas. >> there are cities in the world that record almost everything. almost everything in public. our notion of privacy has completely changed. it's partly because of 9-11 and the concerns of terrorism and partly because of the private sector and the capacity for google to do with a little data point out there, putting data into the internet somehow, every transaction, key stroke on your computer and it's searchable. our sense 50 what was privacy 40

or 50 years ago is totally gone. people are willing to have more privacy in order to get security back. they know you have the conversation about stop and frisk. you are in new york city which until a couple of months ago or weeks ago, it's too invasive. people don't want that much. now, i bet you get a poll today and said if you want to stop and frisk, you bet. it's going to help stop them. our feelings about them ebb and flo based upon the variables of security but a largecal societal connotation but it sounds mushy but moves overtime how we are

interacting with security and

how much we want the government and/or the private sector to know about it. >> i think you are right. i think it's something we have in a sense learned to live with. today, it doesn't matter where you live. if you go in a shopping mall. right? you go into any of those big department stores in new york, you got cameras everywhere. you may not recognize it. but everywhere. >> back when i was attorney general, we created, i think it was the first internet bureau in the country. imagine how antiquated that sounds. right? the privacy issues. privacy from whom? used to be in the 1950s, government, the f.b.i., j. edgar hoover, somebody listening to

them. listening to phone calls, then it became the private sector with google. now, it's government again because of terrorism. basically, it's everybody who can have access to all of this stuff. where the pressure points are and what we are willing to give up is something we have to figure out. >> on a local level, i have to ask you, anthony wiener is stirring things up in new york with that front page in the new york time magazine article/profile last week. then he came out with a pamphlet, his ideas of how we ought to improve life in new york. do you think he is going to run? and do you think he has a chance? >> i thinktition point if he doesn't run it will be the biggest head fake in urban political history. i have to believe this is part of a reasonably well executed, certainly thought out reenter. he tested the waters. they put him at 15%. it's still not as though he is way up there in the 30s or 40s but he is in second place, the question that isn't answered, not to be too circumvencial. isn't % say they won't vote for him in which cases he has a good shot. what he has done certainly at this point is take away frommius quin who was viewed -- from chris quin. any likelihood of getting to 40% in the primary being the magic. if you get 40, there is no run off. if there is a run-off and the likelihood is with billly thompon and chris quin, the question becomes who will the top two finishers will be? and who will win? chris versus anthony wiener, and now you are getting to a point where nobody can really predict. it's a free-for-all. my view: politics is t the more you get in the better, that's

what democracy is about. letting the public decide >> bill: he could be the next come-back kid. who would have thought it t eliot spitzer. what fun. thank you for joining united states? >> always a pleasure, bill. >> this is "the bill press show." [ music ]

(vo) current tv gets the converstion started next. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv.

[ music ] >> taking your e-mails on any topic at any time. this is "the bill press show," live on your radio and current tv. >> bill: >> bill: all right. national reporter top of the next hour. >> we are tweeting at bp show, gail says my daughter wanted to run the chicago marathon. i was going to tell her no-way but the runner we had on the air this morning from colorado changed her mind. >> bill: good for kerry. yeah, great, great great

spirit. all right. we will talk more boston and more other news too. >> this is "the bill press show."

[ music ] >> bill: good morning friends and neighbors. here we go on another "full-court press" this wednesday morning april 17th. great to see you today.

we are coming to you live on current t.v. everywhere in this great country of ours and giving you -- letting you know what's going on today number 1. no. 2, giving you a chance to talk about it either by phone at 866-55-press, online on our -- on twitter, rather, at bp show on on facebook at facebook.com/billpressshow. here in washington, d.c., first of all, the first votes taken today on the gun safety legislation the debate may go on for days. democrats are scrambling to find the sixty votes they need to get it passed even though technically only 51 votes are needed but republicans will filibuster like they fill buster everything else on another issue, immigration reform, senators john mccain and john kerry were at the whitehouse yesterday briefing president obama on this new plan of the gang of 8. but foremost us, the focus is still on boston whereas the f.b.i. now in its second day on the investigation into who

planted those bombs at the end of the boston marathon and how they managed to do so. scouring the videotape and asking people to help with any leads that they can offer let's cover all of that and tell you what's up here on current tv. rights but still support the drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think that there is any chance we'll see this president even say the words "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld. >> (laughter). >> watch the show. >> only on current tv.

you know who is coming on to me now? you know the kind of guys that do reverse mortgage commercials? those types are coming on to me all the time now. (vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. you would rather deal with ahmadinejad than me. >>absolutely. >> and so would mitt romney. (vo) she's joy behar. >>and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? this show is about analyzing criticizing, and holding policy to the fire. are you encouraged by what you heard the president say the other night? is this personal or is it political? a lot of my work happens by doing the things that i am given to doing anyway. staying in tough with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it.

not only does senator rubio just care about rich people but somehow he thinks raising the minimum wage is a bad idea for the middle class. but we do care about them, right? vo: the war room tonight at 6 eastern >> broadcasting across the nation, on your radio and on current tv this is "the bill press show." >> all eye did on boston but still no leads, no claim of responsibility. good morning, everybody. it is wednesday, april 17th. great to see you today. thank you for joining united states here on the "full-court press." your morning round-up of the news of the day, coming to you live on your local progressive talk radio station wherever you happen to be in this great country of ours and all across

the land on current tv. good to have you with us today and look forward to hearing from you. most important part of the program, tour comments with all of these event did of the day, what they mean to you and to your family. give us your take at 866-55-press. >> that's our toll-free number. join us on facebook facebook @facebook.com or on twitter twitter@bpshow. join the entire team here, peter ogburn and dan henning. >> hey hey hey. >> yes indeed with alicia cruz checking on the phone calls and cyprian boulding with his eye on us on the video cam. talking about the event did of the day on several fronts brian bender is the national security reporter for the boston globe based here in washington, d.c. joins us in studio. brian, nice to see you. >> nice to see you bill. >> yeah. so your -- part of the boston

globe but part of the bureau here is that right? >> yeah. >> how big is the bureau here? >> globe has -- let me think -- about 70 people in washington. not as big as they used to be. >> everybody besides them but i am surprised you are at least, you know, still that size. right? >> one of our editors was quoted calling united states the last of the mohicans and i pointed out the mohicans didn't turn out that well. >> that you want to be compared to that. right? >> right. >> you will enjoy this. i don't know if you know that last night, the yankees who are the scourge of the red sox or the other way around, whatever it is, they hate each other, a great, long-time rivalry, they still felt they needed to do something to pay tribute to the red sox because of what happened monday inbot. they thought of a very unusual tribute and they did something at the yankees game last night that the red sox do at every home game. here is what it sounded like.

♪ sweet caroline ♪ good times never seem so good. ♪ >> bill: that is the signature song for the red sox. they play it every home game. at the end of the third inning. is that what it is? >> a tradition. >> and i didn't know until this morning, one of our viewers or listeners. i'm sorry. i lost that e-mail. i can't give him or her credit. >> alan in columbus. >> bill: that it is -- was dedicated to caroline kennedy is where it comes from. >> song about her, yeah. >> how long has this been going on? you know, in boston? >> fifteen years. >> fifteen years. i am probably not the best source because i grew up a new york yankee fan. >> you. >> how did you get that job? you know better than anybody how sort of ugly that rivalry can be. >> it can be ugly. but it was really nice to see

that. i think it capital tours almost better than anything else the unity, how the country is coming together and sort of thinking about boston and, you know, supporting them in this tough time. >> bill: absolutely. it was a great tribute, a great gesture and people really understood what it was all about. so we are going to have a lot of help later in the show too, from congressman michael capuano, the head of the massachusetts delegation will be joining us and democratic strategist, michael meehan will be in studio with us as well. brian, you and i can get right to the news of the day, but first dan always has the full court press. >> other headlines making news on this wednesday, there was a moment of happiness monday afternoon amidst all of the chaos. robert water ling and kelly johnson of dallas texas finished well before the bomb went off. they got married that afternoon, still in their running clothes,

which they had customized to look like wedding attire. abc reports the couple was hesitant to move forward with the ceremony but at the urging of friends and family decided there had to be some moment of happiness in the day. so they went ahead and tied the knot in the park. >> good for them. yeah. >> in sports today. >> running a marathon and then getting married? >> two of the most painful things you will ever do in your life. >> in one day. right? >> in sports, today is the last day of the regular nba season with teams fighting for eight -- for 16 different play-off positions. sixteen teams making the dance and top seeds look to be oklahoma city, san antonio miami and new york. >> go wizards. >> and they will not be making it this year. lowest season in the western conference remains unsettled. so that's where all eyes are on tonight, la lakers houston rockets, and the simplest

scenario is the lakers beat the rockets, everyone except the jazz makes it in >> bill: what stuns me about this is how little i have heard about this whole nba play-off. compare it to college basketball, march madness. >> we talked about it every day, filled out our brackets i didn't know this was going on. >> to their credit it is one of the greatest best produced spectaccalls until sports. it has pa way of drawing people in. it's the playoffs. >> they get young people that don't normally care a wit about sports or basketball. >> you don't have to watch the entire basketball season to all of the sudden start caring. >> yeah. >> whereas the mba is different. >> good news from nasa yesterday, they announced plans to explore deep space and eventually get humans to mars

are on track and on budget. >> good. >> the space agency announcing the 384 foot rocket that they are building to carry humans beyond the moon starting in 221 is coming along nicely. they are on schedule, on budget for an unmanned test flight in 2017. boeing is the primary contractor, and they say they are about five months ahead of schedule. >> good. well, we will get newt gingrich home from london and suit him up. >> brian as national security reporter for the boston globe, let's talk first about this investigation up in boston. is it -- people are unpatient -- impatient, rather, as a people. should we be surprised that 48 hours after the bombing, we still have no idea who did it? >> i don't think we should be surprised. i mean these things take time. obviously, the authorities are

piecing together what they can, as many clues as you mentioned earlier, going through video footage, you know, eyewitness reports trying to recreate these two explosive devices and no one has taken responsibility for it. >> that's what's a little different here other terrorist attacks, islamist military ants have claichld responsibility pretty quickly in most of these casesmed responsibility pretty quickly in most of these cases cases. i think that's why it's taken some time. i have a feeling that before too long, in the next maybe 36 hours, we are going to know more. >> bill: now it's tun fair and it may be irresponsible to speculate, but i still want you to speculate. can't get away without it. but you did mention islamic military ants usually do. they want us to know, it seems to me thatnent us to know. we did this. we are big, bad, and you have got to be afraid of us. so does the fact that no group has -- none of these islamist

groups have taken responsibility for it indicate that it's a domestic situation? >> i mean i think it's tough to say. i mean i think on the one hand, you could argue, and i've talked to people in the fbi in public security yesterday that said this could go either way or it could actually be a combination, if you will. in other words, a home-grown terrorist who maybe is inspired by al-qaeda. >> yeah. >> but really is operating as a lone wolfe. but,. but, but i wouldn't make any conclusions about the lack of a claim of responsibility because i think it's also possible that if it is islamist terrorist group, maybe they are getting smarter. in other words, they decide they don't want to take responsibility because it throws more fear, more confusion, more questions, international in nature as domestic. but clearly, the hallmarks of this attack come out of the

playbook of islamic. >> ieds multiple, planted, in crowned crowned? >> this is exactly what we saw for years in iraq. and afghanistan, the train bombings in madrid in london over the past decade multiple bombs placed in relative close proximity designed to go off almost at the same time to sow more confusion, kill more people. >> that's the thing that's different about this. we have had bombings in the united states but it seems to come from that playbook >> bill: the head of the fbi in that region at his news conference yesterday afternoon told us what they have been able to find out so far about the explosive device. it's just what evidence they found so far. here rick deloria. >> among items are pieces of black nylon which could be from a backpack, and what appear to be frag tments of bb's and

nails, possibly contained in a pressure cooker device. >> bill: stunning, you know to think ordinary pressure cooker you buy in any department store and filled with nails, shrapnel and backpack rudimentary, it could have been a lot powerful and done more damage? right? so, again, what does this tell us, if anything? >> well, i think it tells us that it's obviously an individual or group of videos individuals that know what they are doing but also know what they are doing with the kind of every day supplies that you and i could go buy. >> right. >> and fashion into a relatively crude but, as we saw in this case a still powerful explosive device. >> bill: which might make it hard story track down. right? >> i think it makes it a lot harder to track down. % i mean these things are available in any department, and we are not exactly sure what the

explosive ingredients were. what was it gunpowder or basically fertlizer? i talked to someone in the pentagon yesterday who has spent years working about this i.e.d. problem who said the problem with these things, you know there are so many household items you could pull together to make one of these things, it's very hard to track. though what's interesting about the pressure cookers is that that's blen very common in afghanistan. much more so than anywhere else. pressure cookers are a household item. >> they have been used? >> very frequently. >> i never heard that? >> the taliban according to the pentagon, that's where that type of device has shown up the most in recent years. pakistan and afghanistan. and some suggest we actually we the united states, taught them how to do that back in the 1980s when we were training the

moujaduin to fight the so far yes, it is. you could stick one of these things nam backpack walk down the street and conseal it quite easily. >> bill: i don't know whether there is any connection or not. >> that's my question yesterday on top of this. here in -- we were the old anthrax-laden letters being sent tonight members of congress. yesterday, it was revealed that one senator republicaning, roger wicker from mississippi received a letter, not in his office but at -- where they check their mail headed for the capitol filled with risin. is it is this anyhow related? different terrorist attempt or what the hell is going on there? >> yeah. it really is disturbing just the timing of it. so far, law enforcement officials don't seem to think that there is a connection here apparently this was mailed sort

of snail mail so it would have been mailed before the bombs. but there is not a disconcerting answer -- risin has been used many years by the russians, for example, to assassinate opponents. the get news here is that the screening system works and was identified. >> bill: 20 minutes after the hour now, brian bender is with us a national securitier for the boston globe. follow him @boston.com. now is the time to get your questions and comments in or give us a call at 866-55-press. what does all of this mean? and does it mean that we ought to think about maybe avoiding big public event did like this? we don't want to live in fear. 866-55-press. >> heard around the country, and seen on current tv, this is "the

bill press show." [ music ] >>connect with "full court press with bill press" at facebook.com/billpressshow and on twitter at bpshow. >>i believe people are hungry for it.

alright, in 15 minutes we're going to do the young turks. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

here in washington def sglfrn sglfrn tweeting @bp show, people have brought up ideas of whether we should keep running and having events. yes absolutely. there are a lot of places around the country organize newsing runs. check around with local running groups. check online. in dc, there is one this weekend on saturday that's a 10k run. people were asking about that. look around for running clubs in your area. you might be able to find something. >> bill: that's a good way

ofsponding. >> yeah. if you want to get out there and stay in front of it and show you want to keep doing what you do, get out and do it this week. >> damb the torpedos. full speed ahead. i want to shift gears if i can, bryan. you have an unusual situation. you cover national security. you are with the "boston globe" and a secretary of state, john kerry, i know you have been following his activities. he seems to be trying to out do hillary clinton in how many countries he can visit in a very short time because he has been on the road for much of the time that he has been, the month or so, as secretary of it state, but how do you rate his record so far, how et cetera doing so far? >> i think by most accounts, people are quite pleased. and by that, i mean you know, some of the foreign leaders, foreign dignititaries that he has been strafling around and

meeting with many already know john kerry. it's not like he needed to introduce himself the middle east. no one thought this was the time to try to restart a peace process but john kerry is convinced it is. he has a lot on his plate. he has been on the road a lot. i think i think it's too early to say what kind of effect he is having, but i think so far, he seems seems to be liking the job. there is no doubt about that. >> uh-huh. >> the few times i have seen him in the last few months, he almost seems a little younger and a little spring in his step. this is sort of his dream job, short of being president, as we know. >> right. >> et cetera living the dream. i think he will try to make the most of it. >> people know him, as you say, and respect him. so it's not like a total newcomer, doesn't have to introduce himself to these

people. it's just in a new job. and i think it looks good so far. thank you for coming in, bryan bender. boston.com. >> this is "the bill press show." iq will go way up. (vo) current tv gets the converstion started weekdays at 9am eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. (vo) tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv.

this this this >> bill: >> bill: i didn't realize that. i knew you had to equalqualify but i wasn't sure how you had to qualify. so wherever you live you have to prove that you can run so fast. is that it? >> you've got to have -- have

authorized finish times from other races that are accredited races. >> okay. >> if you can break a time for your age group you can run. >> bill: so you have got a pretty good group of dedicated runners there. right? >> yeah, you sure do. what's fantastic is you see a blind guy running a guide, a boy in a wheelchair who is unable run and his father pushing him. you see people of all ages and shapes and capabilities. it is humanity at its very best. >> in fact, tom, i have to tell you, tom beusse is our guest here by phone. he is the president of the sports media group u.s.a. today

and you can follow his good work @usatoday.com. we had a caller earlier from denver by the name of kerry, who is a blind runner, and was -- and did the boston marathon. he was caught before they rerouted people. he was caught in this no-manned's land but he couldn't be rerouted but he was talking about his experience earlier. you mentioned a blind runner. are you on the scene covering as an investigation? >> i spent yesterday lending people perspective and took off late last night. back down in connecticut where i live and off to manhattan for work today. >> do you think it's unusual?

are you surprised at this point we still have no leads, no investigation? i mean no suspects or claim of safetity? >> not completely. i think -- i think a few things. i think it's unlikely to be the usual suspects or they might have claimed it already because they would have been so proud of it. i suspect the government knows a lot more than they are telling us. i don't think that's a bad thing. we all want to know everything and know it meal. why would they want everyone to know they are following them. i bet they have found some of the bomb terms and bomb materials have signatures of the bomb maker. what happens to the finish line area? i imagine people are not going to be able to get down there for a couple of more days and they look at the scene and that's a bustling area of boston.

what's the time frame there? >> well, it's a good question. yesterday was crazy. i spent the day in boston you could with got get across boston street. it dissects down the center. you couldn't cross over anywhere. they had the entire street closed down. i did notice at the end of the day, they had street cleaners out, cleaning the street which told me maybe it's about to be re-opened. >> bill: so they would have gotten all of the evidence that they could? right, you understand they keep it closed to comb that area for any possible shred of schrapnel. >> that immediately said to us this is a crime scene. the next day, when i was trying to get to the appointment i had i was trialing to cross over boylston street. they said. you can't. police tape everywhere even though i have lived in and around new york, i have never seen as many police and emergency vehicles in my life in any one city. >> how many marathons have you done, tom? >> six. this is my sixth and first boston >> bill: my god. what was your time. >> 3:46. >> bill: good for you, man. >> nice. >> thanks very much.

it feels like it's -- i will remember i actually ran one in a couple of days. this thing was... >> bill: yeah. i admire you. good of you to take some time for us this morning, tom. i appreciate it very much. >> anytime. happy to, guys. >> glad you made it safely too, tom beusse president of the u.s.a. today sports media group. this guy puts himself on the line, man. >> yeah, dude. >> covering the story. boom. he is there. a lot of reporters that cover the boston marathon without running it. all right. >> this is the full court press t "the bill press show." live on your radio and on current tv. the issues of the day. >> do you think that there is any chance we'll see this president even say the words "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" ...

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smu's. >> heard around country and seen on current tv, "the bill press show" >> bill: a couple of other stores stories in the news today wanted to bring you up to date on. first of all, interesting poll yesterday by the "washington post" and abc news. funny, americans think both major political parties are sort of out of touch with their real concerns. but especially the republican party. get this. seven out of 10 americans say the republican party is out of touch with the concerns of most people in the united states today. 70% republican party doesn't care about what i care about and doesn't know what's going on my life. 51% of the people say that about

the democratic party. also found in this poll of interest is that the sequester or see questsequestration, 57 percent of americans say bad idea. they are against the sequester. i am stunned that it's that low. >> i think people -- you know why? it's growing. people are just becoming aware of it. scenario out of 10 americans say the republican party is out of touch and, of course it is. i am surprised it's that low for the republicans, too. the other thing is, you know, a lot of debate about the, still, about torture and a lot of people question that whether we really did engage in torture and then those who accept that we did engage in torture, there is a good number of people who say, well, that was still -- that's okay because we have a right to do anything we want and we have got a lot of information that way. all of that is proven to be not

true by a report that came out as a ritual of the study that had been commissioned by the constitution project. it was just revealed a couple of days ago. if you haven't had a chance to talk about it, but the constitution project, the totally non-partisan group of people put together a panel of 11 headed by two former members of congress, a top republican asa hutchinson, he is the guy the nra also commissioned to do their report on guns in schools. so this guy is a real conservative, asa hutchinson, from arkansas, and james jones who lives right down the street here on the east capital and capital hill. he is a friend of mine former congressman, and former ambassador to mexico. they co-chaired this group. they came out with a report. a 577 page report, which number 1 says, without doubt, the bush administration george bush, dick cheney, engaged, knowingly

engaged in torture. the president, himself, made the decision. the report says quote, the kind of considered and detailed discussions that occurred after 9-11 directly involving a president and his top advisors on the wisdom legality inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in our custody that high level of discussion had never happened before flu america history. the report said -- so clearly, clearly, the united states engaged in the practice of torture. secondly, get this. this report concludes that -- and i am quoting from it -- no firm or persuasive evidence was found that they produced valuable information that could

not have been obtained by any other means. zero evidence that the torture gave us any information, any evidence we could have gotten. so what dick cheney says and george bush says about you know, it the evidence we found that led to the arrest of this one or that one no. no. simply not true. by the way they interviewed hundreds and hundreds of people for this project. finally, the use -- for the use of torture, there was no justification for it, no justification for it and it damaged the sdpanding of our nation, reduced our capacity to reduce moralcentur and potentially increased the damagenger

to u.s. military personnel taken captive. finally, a 22 page appendtix citing dozens of cases in which the united states prosecuted similar treatment or denounced it as torture when carried out by other countries. bang, bang, bang. we engaged in torture. it was illegal activity. we learned nothing from it. it damaged our moral standing among other countries. this is the same activity we have condemned other countries for and prosecuted where possible. that is a damning report. the final word. no justification, it was illegal to do it.

they did it. they got away with it. there are still people who defend them for it and they will never be held responsible for it. >> sick. totally sick. >> bill: yeah, really is. i come back to the fact is the obama administration made a big mistake, don't pur see this. >> that's past history. we are not going to hold these people responsible. >> they should have. all right. speaking of the president, what's he up to today? hey, we will tell you when we come back. >> this is the full court press. "the bill press show," live on your radio and on current tv.

[ music ]

>> this is the bull press show. >> at the top of the next hour we will be talking to congressman michael quapano, head of the massachusetts congressional delegation. he represents the city of boston, and he will give us the latest on the investigation into that bombing at the boston mayorthon t meanwhile, peter, a little breaking news on that front. >> cnn has reported that they have found the lid to the pressure cooker. we know that this was a pressure cooker bomb on the roof of one of the buildings surrounding the marathon finish line. they are saying this is really a big deal. they already found parts of what looked like the bottom of it, charred and a mess but the lid

on these things essentially just blow off and go straight up and so they found it relatively intact. they can now look at where it was bought, who might have bought it, look at tapes. so it's a big break in the case. >> or how long ago it was bought. >> right. >> it will take them a long time probably to track that down. think of all of the loans if not thousands of places in the boston area where they could have purchased this particular if pressure cooker. on the president's schedule today, he will be meeting with a 7 ario advisor this morning after he gets his daily briefing at 10:00 o'clock. then he and the vice president meet with the treasury secretary, jack lew, at noon this afternoon he welcome did the wounded warrior project sold right to the white house in celebration of the 7th annual soldier ride. tonight, et cetera having dinner with democratic senators. he will go back to the jefferson hotel after having had dinner --

two different dinners and the briefing today at 11:45. this is "the bill press show."

[ music ] >> bill: well, good morning, fellow americans. welcome to the "full-court press" this wednesday, april 17th. good to see you today. thanks for being part of the program. it is the full court press. we are coming to you live from our nation's capitol and our studio right here on capitol hill. here it is right down the street from the united states capitol building where there is a lot of activity but that's over

shadowed by what's happening up in boston. on the senate floor, there will there will be the first votes today on the gun safety legislation. several different bills, a lot much different members are going to be offered. democrats searching for the 60 votes they need to move something out of the senate john mccain and chuck schumer yesterday were briefing the president on the details of their compromise legislation on immigration reform. the president has, in effect already supported not of the attention on the boston mayor thunderstorm. the f.b.i. reporting this looks like it's a home-made bomb put together in a pressure cooker, left on the street.

they announced this morning that they have found the lid to one of those pressure cookers which could be the first break in this case. we'll cover the whole waterfront coming up next on current tv. [ music ] iq will go way up. (vo) current tv gets the converstion started weekdays at 9am eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. (vo) tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv.

(vo) current tv is the place for compelling true stories. (kaj) jack, how old are you? >> nine. (adam) this is what 27 tons of marijuana looks like. (vo) with award winning documentaries that take you inside the headlines. way inside. (christoff) we're patrolling the area looking for guns, drugs bodies ... (adam) we're going to places where few others are going. [lady] you have to get out now. >> lots of terrible things happen to people growing marijuana. >> this crop to me is my livelihood. >> i'm being violated by the health care system. (christoff) we go and spend a considerable amount of time getting to know the people and the characters that are actually living these stories. (vo) from the underworld to the world of privilege. >> everyone in michael jackson's life was out to use him. (vo) no one brings you more

documentaries that are real, gripping, current. >> occupy! >> we will have class warfare. (vo) true stories, current perspective. documentaries. on current tv. >> broadcasting across the nation, on your radio, and on current tv, this is the bill press show. >> bill: runners in the boston marathon say defiantly this morning, we will be back next year. >> that's the spirit. what do you say, everybody? great to see you today. it is wednesday, april 17th. welcome to the "full-court press" here on current tv here on your local progressive talk radio station, your daily town

hall where we bring you up to date on the issues of the day and take your calls at 866-55-press. we welcome your comments on twitter @bpshow and we look forward to being your friend and having you as our friend on facebook and then hearing you on facebook.com/billpressshow. this wednesday morning april 17th, all eyes on boston and the investigation up there with some news this morning from the fbi that they have found the lid of one of these pressure cookers. they look like pressure coomker bombs. that could be the first big break in this case. we are here in our nation's capitol with our eye on boston and everything else going on around the globe. with team press here peter ogburn and dan henning. hello, guys. >> hey, hey, hey. >> good morning, bill. >> yes indeed and alicia cruz

on the phones and cyprian boulding has got the video cam. before we get to our first guest, just a quick note the president idea taking time out in his -- in doing what he does loves to do best is bring in winning teams and outstanding athletes to the white house, welcoming them to the white house yesterday on the south lawn, i was there last year when he did this. the nascar latest nascar heros brad koslows kirks. >> it's a stretch to call them an athlete. you call people that drive cars athletes? in nascar? >> very gifted driver. >> in nascar, i do. >> that's in car driver. -- in nascar i do. >> president obama, he congratulated him but he had his

eye on the car. it is a unique american sport and we are proud to support it. so brad, congratulations. great job. >> thank you sir. >> i am going to look at this spiff fy car. brad offered to let me drive it around the south lawn but secret service once again said no. he would love to get into the car. threw years from now, he will get in a car and drive across the country. >> how long is it? you can't drive a car after you are president for a period of time. >> george bush used to drive his pickup truck on the ranch. >> private property. >> no way they would let you do. >> even after you are president, you can't drive for a period of time? >> bill clinton is not driving his own car.

>> you can do whatever you want. >> mitt romney is driving his own car. >> driving a slew of them. >> car elevator out in la hoja. okay. back to the serious news of the day. word from the f.b.i. e they have found the lid of one of these pressure cookers on the roof of a building nearby which may enable them to track that down to where it was purchased and who purchased it. on the latest in the investigation, we are going to check in with the dean of the massachusetts congressional delegation michael quapano. good of you to take time for us this morning. >> don't promote me to dean. you will get three or four guys upset. >> all right. well, let's just say an outstanding member of the

massachusetts -- >> thank you. >> delegation. this is your district. tell us what the boston marathon means to the people of boston? >> it's one of the best days of the year. it's a combination of all kinds of things, the beginning of spring, the unofficial opening of baseball. baseball has had an opening day but a day where we have a baseball game in the morning. it's the only time we have them in the morning. the road race is the major part of the day. we reenact the lexington and concord battle a reenactment of paul revere's ride and lots of events going on, usually al bruins game in the evening and street ents along the route. >> a celebration of being an american celebrating the struggles of 1775 and 1776 and

opening our arms. it has become an international event. the city is jammed full of visitors for several days beforehand and several days after wards and everybody just -- it's just a nice day to cheer on people. many are doing it to raise money for good causes. a lot of people got injured. at the end of the race to cheer on family or friends who did it or friends of friends. >> right. >> a very nice open plight day, one of those nice big community days. >> what does your gut tell you about who or what organization who choose that glorious day to do something like that? >> obviously whoever it is, is

one sick individual or group of individuals. i understand a violent attack on a military installation or even the symbol of a country, you know a don't approve of it but i understand the symbolism. if there were, someone would have taken credit for it. i am proud i broke up, you know i showed the bad americans can't have fun. i can't get into the mind of these people. >> it was clearly to hurt and maim as many as they could in a crowded situation. >> i hope they proud of themselves killing an 8-year-old boy who is nothing but beautiful. there is no 8-year-old in the world who is not just a beautiful person. 8 years old is the perfect age for children.

a 29-year-old girl came off two years taking care of her grandmother. those are two wonderful people. i hope whoever did it are not proud of it. i hope they ashamed u be proud of the heroic efforts of the people on the scene, volunteers on the scene ems workers. >> the cops and firefighters are trained to do these kind of things and obviously they responded very clearly. but this race takes a lot of volunteers. for instance, at the end of the race, there is a tent full of volunteer medical workers, a lot of doctors and nurses they volunteer because at the end of the race there are a lot of people hurt, dehydrated. they spend all day there waiting for thousands of people to come in. many, many hours after the t.v. cameras leave.

almost every one of them ran toward the scene. all volunteers very few probably had training to deal with that kind of stuff and trying to help. it's just amazing. >> bill: >> there is a story out there now, congressman, i am sure you have seen, from a man by the name of carlos aradondo. >> the cowboy hat guy. that story is a amazing that has come out of there and what he did. >> tell us about him. >> carlos's son was killed in iraq and we met him because we named a post office after his son. he gave his life for this country. >> wow? >> a dedicated family man who loved his son and wanted to honor him and helped us work for a while to get a post office named after him. here is a guy who lost his child in another event but very proud of his son as he should be. we all are. and yet he was there just enjoying the day to my knowledge. >> yeah.

he was. there is a picture of him helping a man in a wheelchair. >> badly wounded. >> carlos had put the tourniquet around the man's leg and was getting him to safety. >> bill: what do you know or what can you tell us about the investigation that you have heard? >> nothing out of the ordinary. this investigation is very very early. they are going to turn over every single lead they get, every piece of evidence they get is million dollars of pictures to go through between t.v. cameras and the typical security cameras everybody that goes to the race has a cell phone or pictures. if you have pictures, even if you don't think there is anything in it, please send it along please send copies along because experts may send something you don't.

no. 2, i am a former mayor and i learned for politicians the best thing they can do is stay the heck out of the way. they can brief me but i don't want any of them thinking about my political needs or the need for information for one second. i want them to do nothing but get the people responsible for this. >> talking to michael capuano from boston representing massachusetts 7th congressional district. you mentioned cameras. what is the presence of surveillance cameras indown boston and does this tell you how important they are? >> i must say i don't know. it's the kind of thing. boston is a relatively open city. we don't feel afraid of things. we are not going to hide under a bed. cameras, i don't know how many there would be.

most places have security cameras in the buildings, outside the buildings and they catch pictures they don't even necessarily intend to catch. >> that's why the f.b.i. and the rest are are a going to go through it frame by frame. it will take time. hopefully it will bear results. >> i think the presence of theses cameras in any area, maybe we have or are going to have to learn to live with. >> they are there. boston, to my knowledge, doesn't have any of those traffic ticket cameras. they have cameras. if they have them, they are very few of them. >> surveillance cameras and speeding cameras the intersection cameras what do you think is the feeling of the city leaders in boston and at a time city of boston. will there be another marathon next year? >> absolutely. i believe it will be as big or

bigger than ever next year. it's not just a local thing. it's an international event, very heavily visited by people from all over new england in particular. everybody usually brings family with them with i get people from new york and philadelphia bring up four, five, six people. it will certainly happen. it will be bigger and better than ever is my guess. >> we saw the flags fluthere at the finish line representing the runners from different countries. >> if -- was trying to hit america, i think that is worth a thousand words, those are international flags celebrating runners for this event. >> we stand with you and the people of massachusetts. it's good of you to spend time with us this morning. michael capuano, congressman from 7th congressional district. >> heard around the country and seen on current tv this is "the bill press show."

this show is about analyzing criticizing, and holding policy to the fire. are you encouraged by what you heard the president say the other night? is this personal or is it political? a lot of my work happens by doing the things that i am given to doing anyway. staying in tough with everything that is going on politically and putting my own nuance on it. not only does senator rubio just care about rich people but somehow he thinks raising the minimum wage is a bad idea for the middle class. but we do care about them, right? vo: the war room tonight at 6 eastern

>> heard around the country and seen on current tv this is the bill press show. >> bill: 24 minutes after the hour on a wednesday morning april 17th. what do you say? it is at a time "full-court press." we are coming to you live from our nation's capitol. if i seem a little tired, i was

last night at a wonderful event. the arab person in foundation. their annual awards dinner at the jw marriott hotel. it was my honor to be on the program presenting one of the awards. they announced that the recipients of the awards were going to be ralph nadar. nice applause t christian amapour from cnn seated alongside of me. nice round of applause. marion wright eddleman from the children's defense fund is a wonderful person, nice round of applause and the other award will go to casey kason and the place erupted. people. >> people went wild. my god. uchsz there to present the award. i don't have to introduce casey

kason. if you have ever listened to the radio, you know who casey kason is. if you have ever watched television. have you ever been identified or involved in any progressive causes anywhere in this country especially in southern california, you know who casey kason is. when i was until california working on television and radio and in los angeles and my being chair of the democratic party and protection of the environment, civil rights women's rights, gay rights economic justice, social justice, central america, anti-quandra, you name it. casey kason was there. i marched alongside of him in so many rallies, i can't tell you. he was a wonderful, wonderful guy. he is best known for top 40.

once in a while, he moot lose his temper as he did when he was once asked to give a dedication to a little boy who lost -- whose dog had died and then he had to suddenly go from that into some up-beat song, and casey wasn't happy with what his producers had done to him. here he is. >> dear casey, this may seem to be a strange dedication request, but i am quite sincere, and it will mean a lot if you play it. recently, there was a death in our family. he was a little dog named snuggles but he was most certainly -- going to start again. i am coming out of the record. play the record please. >> not happy when you come out of those up-tempo numbers, it's impossible to make those transactions and go into somebody dying. i don't know what the hell they do it for but (bleep) if we can't come out of a slow record i don't understand it.

is don on the phone. okay i want (bleep) a considered effort to come out of a record that isn't a (bleep) record every time i do a death deadfication. i also want to know what happened to the pictures i was supposed to see this week? it's the last blame time i want something to use his (bleep) brain and not come out of a record up tempo and i have got to talk about a (bleep) dog dying. >> that's the best. >> this happens to me all the time. all the time. you expect me to come out of some upbeat story and have to talk about a damn dog dying. casey kason. what a wonderful, wonderful man. he was notability make the event last night. his daughter kerri was there to accept the award for him. he was very proud to be part of the program honoring my friend

and yours, casey kason. >> this is "the bill press show." "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld. >> (laughter). >> watch the show. >> only on current tv.

>> heard around the country and seen on current tv this is "the bill press show." >> bill: it's wednesday, april 17th, this is the full court press, coming to you live from our nation's capitol and our studio here on capitol hill

here in washington, d.c. we are brought to you today by the united states steel workers and their colorfulful and out spoken international president leo gerard. the un itsed steel workers north america's largest industrial union rep presenting over 1.2 million active and retired members. they do great work bringing back america's steel industry. check them out at usw.org. that's their website usw.org. michael neehan democratic strategist will join us shortly in studio. first, wanted to bring you up to date on something that hasn't gotten a lot of attention with all of the focus on boston but is extremely important a report just issued, 577 pages issued by the constitution project, a group ref task force by the

constitution project thing worked month, a bi-partisan group headed by a former republican congressman, asa hutchinson from arkansas. the guy the nra tapped to do their study on recommending guns in schools. he is a conservative republican, a former democratic member of congress jim jones and this study, this group looked at the question of torture and came to some amazing conclusions. number one, they said there is no doubt, no doubt, that the united states engaged in the practice of torture under the bush administration. this is just under george bush and dick cheney, number 1. we did engage in torture. it was illegal.

it was against international law. number 3, we did it even though there is no firm or persuasive evidence, reading from the report, that they produced any valuable information or any information that we could not have gotten through other means, zero evidence of anything out of that torture. and he engaging in torture, from the bi-partisan report quote, damaged the standing of our nation reducedour capacity to enact moral 7censure and increased the danger to u.s. military personnel taken captive. we did it. it was illegal, we got nothing

out of it. we damaged our standing, we made our own military -- put our own military more at risk and more in danger and then, finally the report contains appendix of 22 pages muchof legal cases where the united states has either condemned or prosecuted people for doing the very same thing that george bush and dick cheney had done. stunning report. >> it's one of those things you hate to say i told you so, a lot of people we knew that torture was happening, on the left said they should. >> right. >> that confirms that. no. this was not a program that was worth doing.

>> i don't mind saying i told you so. i told you so. the only regret i have is that george bush and dick cheney did it, broke the law, got away with it and they will never be held responsible for it. i wanted to be sure you know about that report. it got lost understandable in all of the coverage about boston. a lot is going on. we wanted to catch up to date with. michael meehan is a democratic strategist, a good friend of the program joining us back in studio this morning. mickael. >> hey, bill. good morning >> bill: >> bill: nice to see you. let's come back here at home, washington, d.c. the first votes will be taken today on gun safety legislation they don't have the votes they need to get this compromise background legislation through. why do you need 60 votes?

i thought you only needed 51. why should this be so difficult? >> i think every human being has ask a survival instinct. crystal clearly in politics, people are on the right are unbelievablety afraid to touch the guns of anything reasonable. i remember in 1994, i went out to work for speaker tom polling >> bill: pardon me. yeah. >> he had allowed a vote on banning assault weapons. he was in a very rural part of washington state. he got walloped. he lost 1800 votes. i think he thought for years that he was he would win people who only care about anything on the gun vote. 20 years later, you are in the

same position 12k3w4r6r7b are we in the same position or do they believe they are in the same positive? is the idea that you can't do anything about gun control or gun safety you have to look at senator bennett from utah. he lost a primary of 3400 people that gathered in a caucus and he lost his primary. so he is not in the u.s. senatenym. >> that's the kind of fear these politicians are operating under. >> that's the problem. in the end, elected officials only need to convince about half of half. you have a small part of the world. i know people are talking about

90% want at least a gun stripling registry. it's not a voting issue for those. they don't want any reasonable gun law changes. >> you not only have newtown but the newtown parents coming down here and personally leadplead with these united states senators showing unbelievable courage and even that is not enough to make a difference? >> in moments like this, i think you have a chance when you have real-life moments like these parents that are coming down. these are practiced politicians. they would rather be doing something else besides flying down here and remembering their lost children. i think that's why you have joe manchin and toomey. they say this is too important. i connect on a parent level, on a personal level not a on a

political level. that's why you have those two leaders willing to at least move the ball down. people like us, i think, don't think this should be the first of 10 votes. >> a voice vote. move on to the hard one. this should be the easy one. but that is the nra strategy is don't give them an inch. so they fight to the death over an inch. it's been a political strategy that lapier and those guys follow all along. >> the last note i saw on this i think was on daily beast or daily caller was that manchin and toomey say now that they are two votes short. so if you get that close, michael, is there anything like the president can do or harry reid can do? you have been there. can they just do some old

wheeling and dealing? >> yeah. >> and get two votes? >> that clearly happens and it clearly happens on these big votes like this where, you know, a member is waffling and there is all kind of pressure they could put on a member on the fenced. people sit in the well, walk you from your haul. there are things that will be put and that's why you have to have the vote because it's so much easier. typically, you know, i worked in the senate 23 years. typically when you get to these one vote margins, no, no no. okay. you won by 10 because once you get to 60, people don't want to be on the wrong side of history. so there is a lot of pressure, you know, and you have 58, 59, 60. and then it tends to carry a little further than that. really ends up being 60/40. >> seems that they have to look at these people. there is something they want or need or, you know, something that could change their mind and it may be one of this other their own bills, or a new road

in narrative their district. >> so emotional. >> an emotional issue out there. >> yeah t horse trading on this is hard, you know t. >> it will evolve because it's so emotionally charged. >> bill: it's important. the first votes are today. it's going to be probably an extended debate with so many different ways of approaching this, and republicans holding that filibuster threat of 60 votes and requiring 60 votes on anything to get out of the senate. it should happen automatically. then there is immigration reform. michael neehan democratic strafed scythe cyst. you are there at 866-55-press. our toll-free number for -- on your twitter account @bpshow. we will be right back. >> heard around the country and seen on current tv this is "the

bill press show." >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv.

(vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. (vo) she's joy behar. >>current will let me say anything.

[ music ] [ music ] >> this is "the full court press: the bill press show," live on your radio and on current tv. >> bill: on a wednesday morning, april 17th, at 12 minutes before the top of the hour, we are joined in studio by democratic strategist michael meehan. michael, you worked in the -- with our regular team here. >> hey, hey. >> peter ogburn, dan henning & company. michael, you worked in the senate, you mentioned, 23 years? >> yes. >> started as a very young man? >> in college, yes.

>> this letter received -- not received in his? >> right. >> did you have that experience when you were working with senator dashchle, the anthrax letter came to senator dashel's attention and senator lee hey. >> but they arrived at the office office. >> it used to come to their senate office directly and after anthrax, they radiate mail in an off-site premise. it usually takes two or three weeks for a piece of mail to get to a member's. this is on you they cot the ricin letter. >> they never -- they never traced that down? >> no. >> found who was responsible? >> they had a couple of strong

suspects but they weren't able to actually put it together to charge anybody. >> where do you get ricin? >> i have no idea it's a pretty nasty substance. it comes across as white powder. it could be confectionary sugar. >> it's straight and roger wicker of all people. why? tes not a high-profile senator? >> he is not. the letter, did not have a return address, came out of tennessee and apparently he may have moved slightly to the middle on a vote a couple of weeks ago. that was the speculation i don't know what the vote was. apparently that was one of the causes of possibly why he got the letter. >> before the break we were talking about the political toxicity of a vote, any vote on gun control or gun safety.

does the same exist when it comes to immigration reform. >> my think can, it's the same for immigration except political survivabilitity for the long-term interest of the republican party is you cannot continue to lose hispanic the voters 70/30 and expect ever to get the white house again. then, you know, the population of hispanic voters has grown it's political malpractice and you have openings where republicans could come forward. i think the path to citizenship is the line there where republicans worry somehow the 11 million somehow get unfairly jump the line or not fly back to wherever they come from and fly back to stand back in line, they are putting artificial barriers up that aren't realistic.

>> that's the line for them. i think you have some young republican leaders like marco rubio who are trying to push his party as an immigrant, himself, from an immigrant family. he is able to make much further roads than the gun control stuff. >> republicans must know, right, that from a -- just speaking now as a democrat with your democratic strategist's hat on and 1 who has been involved in a lot of cam pangs. this is a pot of gold for democrats? if mitt romney got the level of votes that john kerry did he would have been president. he would have carried florida and ohio by moving an 8-point margin with the hispanic population. so being completely tone deaf cost him conceivably the presidency. the sfrat gists on the

democratic side know that. it's a political advantage. it's the right thing to do. therefore, it's good politics. but that's why i have more hope that political survival instincts of the republican party, the minority, will allow some progress on immigration. >> so you would think that there would be some voices on the republican side or more who would say, well yes, like when jeb bush came out, i thought he was in a position, not in elective office any longer that he could have been a strong voice with the political pedigree that he has. but i was so surprised when he took that position, that he was going to be opposed to certain measures on the immigration size side. it seemed the guy is now running for president in theian primary in 2016?

>> exactly. these are the two that have come to the first off forefront in the senate and looking for action on both of them, gun safety today and immigration reform, michael meehan good to see you. thank you for coming in, giving us your time this morning, and i will wrap things up for the parting shot coming up next. >> this is "the bill press show."

(vo) current tv gets the converstion started next. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me.

the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv. [ music ] [ music ] [ music ] muse this

[ music ] >> the parting shot with bill press >> bill: well the pope should wear the red prada shoes and said he would help the poor. everybody cheered. now it turns out, not so much. it was announced yesterday that with the blessing of pope francis, the vatican is going to continue its war against american nuns. it's a war, remember, started by benedict xvi where the vatican accused our nuns get this of talking too much about poverty and social justice and not talking enough about abortion. in other words, for doing what the gospels preach for doing what jesus did for helping the poor, american nuns are going to be condemned by the vatican. come on, pope francis knows this is wrong. he has read the new testament

and read. he knows what the nuns are doing is right. sadly, we discover like all of the popes before him, pope francis is nothing but a member of the vatican boys' club. oh, man. we will be back tomorrow with congresswoman karen bass. have a good one. see you right back here again tomorrow. >> this is "the bill press show."